VARNA, Bulgaria — The 2026 U20 European Water Polo Championship came to a close over the weekend with three Fordham University water polo athletes earning medals.
Incoming freshman Karlo Dragosevic (Split, Croatia/Economic & Administrative School) captured the gold medal with Croatia, winning the Championship over Spain, while sophomores Diego Tresa (Rome, Italy/Istituto Santa Maria) and Alessandro Salipante (Brindisi, Italy/Liceo Scientifico Fermi Monticelli) claimed bronze with Italy, following a penalty shootout win over Montenegro.
Dragosevic had an overall strong tournament, collecting eight goals and two steals. In the medal rounds, he scored twice in the semifinals in a win over Italy, while also netting a pair of goals in the championship contest against Spain.
Tresa was also excellent for Italy in its bronze medal run, totaling 13 goals, four steals, and two blocks in the tournament. He scored six times in the quarterfinals in a win over Germany and then had a goal and an assist in a semifinal loss to Croatia. He bounced back with two steals and a block in the bronze medal game against Montenegro. Salipante also played a pivotal part in the bronze medal game, netting the game-tying goal with 20 seconds left to push the game into a penalty shootout in which he also converted a penalty.
Release courtesy Forhdam University Athletics Communications
Karlo Dragosevic (left) won Gold at the 2026 U20 European Championship with Croatia, while Diego Tresa and Alessandro Salipante earned Bronze with Italy
